


Unbalanced

by HYPERFocused



Category: Original Work
Genre: Challenge Response, Community: fan_flashworks, Gen, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 14:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4395767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HYPERFocused/pseuds/HYPERFocused
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Author weighs in on a variety of scaly subjects</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unbalanced

**Author's Note:**

> For the Scales challenge

"Unbalanced"

Like most of us,  
I have a love/hate relationship  
With scales.  
For various reasons,  
They rarely balance right for me,  
Or anyone.

No fun to stand on  
When the equation that gives me shape  
comes out as  
N = now look how fat you are.  
No one will want you,  
Just stop eating already,  
You cow."

Or for others,  
N= Values of "No dinner? Don't you _eat_ ,  
What are you, anorexic?"  
lobbied around like Dodge-balls  
In junior high gymnasiums  
By kids who are clearly cooler than you.

And I don't like fish.  
At least not the kind on a plate,  
With half a lemon wrapped in gauze.

Scales you have to scrape,  
and cut the bad parts out:  
The head, those dead, tiny eyes.

To me, the only edible fish,  
Are Swedish, Goldfish crackers,  
And the little chocolate ones in Phish Food.

The "no swimming" exception  
Is cured, or salted  
and served with a shmear  
At the deli, or maybe an Oneg

I'm fine with the scales of justice.  
At least there's hope,  
Their balance will finally favor the just,  
And not just find favors for the favorites.

I'm a Libra.  
I'm supposed to embody  
The scale's role  
Keeping everything in place  
Its' rightful level.

It's the only sign that never was alive,  
Not exactly passionless, but  
Rarely explosive.

How well that fits me.  
I do not live, the way I have longed  
I have not loved. I never felt deserving.  
I am the one friends come to  
For a listening ear  
Reassuring words  
Steadfast support,  
And sage advice.  
  
Scales are fine in fantasy  
Gilded, scalloped dragon wings,  
A mermaid or merman's iridescent tail,  
Musical notes I'll never quite reach.  
The one at the doctor's office  
Reflecting a number I'm happy to see.

Thoughts of scales,  
Give me pause,  
Make me wobbly, shaky and unsure  
Of where I stand.

Like an acrophobic  
Scared of scaling heights,  
Too grounded to take flight.  
I fit that label, too.  
So much seems insurmountable,  
Like finding my life's balance.


End file.
